A hernia is a general term which refers to a protrusion of a tissue through a structure or part of an organ. In other words, when something penetrates through muscle tissue or a membrane and sticks out. A hernia has three parts - the hernia's contents, the hernia sac, and the orifice (the hole).

The Latin word hernia means "a rupture". A hernia is also medically known as a rupture.

Hernias most commonly occur in the abdomen. A part of the abdominal wall may be weak and allows a localized hole to develop - this hole is also known as a defect. Tissue, or abdominal organs may stick out through this hole. A hernia that involves the spinal discs commonly causes pain in the lower back, the pain can radiate down one or both legs (sciatica).

Not all hernias cause pain. Some people may have a hernia and not be aware of it. In most cases, however patients with a hernia do feel some pain or discomfort, and typically sense a lump in the affected area. Fatty tissue will usually jut through first, then an organ may protrude later.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, a Hernia is a:

"Protrusion of a part or structure through the tissues normally containing it."
Why do hernias occur?

In most cases a hernia will occur when the compartment which envelopes an organ receives increased pressure, this weakens the boundary. This may happen for several reasons, including:
Genetic propensity - if either or both of your parents had a hernia you are more likely to develop one.

Age - the older you are the higher is your risk of developing a hernia.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - a group of uncommon genetic disorders that affect humans and domestic animals caused by a defect in collagen synthesis.

Marfan syndrome - a is genetic disorder of the connective tissue.

Pregnancy - the muscles of the mother stretch, making it easier for tissue to poke through.

Drastic weight loss - when obese people lose weight they may be more prone to developing hernias.

COPD, Whooping cough - the patient may cough a lot. Coughing raises pressure in the abdomen. Any illness that includes severe coughing can cause hernias to occur. A severe bout of flu may sometimes cause a hernia to develop.

Ascites - the buildup of extra fluid in the abdomen (peritoneal cavity).

Sports hernias (athletic pubalgia) are more common among people with a mechanical disorder of the hip, researchers from the Center for Hip Pain and Preservation at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, USA, explained after carrying out a study. The problem can often be resolved with surgery to fix the hip disorder.

Intracranial pressure - if intracranial pressure rises parts of the brain may develop hernias which protrude through the cranial cavity.

Excessive lifting - raises pressure on the abdomen and others parts of the body.

Prior surgery - some surgeries may result in the weakening of membranes.

Obesity - if a person is obese his chances of developing a hernia are significantly higher, compared to people who are not obese.
What types of hernias are there?

There are many types of hernias. Below is a list of some of the most common hernias:
Abdominal Hernia - an abdominal organ or fatty tissue juts through a weakened area of the abdominal wall, resulting in a protrusion

Anal Hernia - tissue protrudes through the membrane around the anal region.

Diaphragmatic Hernia - hernia resulting from the protrusion of part of the stomach through the diaphragm - a hole in the diaphragm which the bowel can pass through, also known as congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Hiatal Hernia - forms at the opening in the diaphragm where the esophagus (food pipe) joins the stomach. A part of the stomach pushes through this opening.

Herniatied Disc - the cushion that lies between the spinal vertebra is squeezed outside its normal position. As the spinal disc loses its elasticity, it may rupture - rupturing may cause a portion of the spinal disc to push outside its normal boundary - resulting in a herniated disc

Intracranial Hernia (in the brain) - caused by extreme intracranial pressure. This is a protrusion of brain from the cranial vault through the foramina (tentorial notch or foramen magnum) or ventral dural septae. The patient may need immediate medical attention as intracranial hernias might be life-threatening, especially if the hernia takes place in the brain stem region. Usually caused by brain edema or hemorrhage which results in increased intracranial pressure.

Pelvic Hernia, Inguinal Hernia - an interstitial hernia (happens in the small opening between tissues or parts of an organ) projecting into the pelvis from the internal inguinal ring. The inguinal ring is at the entrance to the inguinal canal. The inguinal canal is an oblique canal through the lower abdominal wall; in males it is the passage through which the testicles move down into the scrotum, it contains the spermatic cord; in females it transmits around the ligament of the uterus.

Femoral Hernias - more common among females. Occurs when part of the intestine protrudes through the femoral canal, it juts through at the top of the thigh. Blood vessels that supply the legs with blood go through the femoral canal.

Umbilical Hernia - more common among children. The abdominal wall is weakened where the umbilical cord enters/leaves the body (the belly button, the naval). Umbilical hernias can also be found in puppies.

Epigastric Hernia - occurs between the naval and the breastbone. Fat protrudes through the abdominal wall.

Ventral Hernia - most commonly after a surgical operation or trauma (e.g. car accident or bad fall). When tissue is scarred it weakens the abdominal wall, leading to hernia.

Obtuator Hernia - bits of intestine penetrates through the space between bones in the front part of the pelvis.
Treatment for hernia

Your GP may initially try to push the hernia back, if he/she thinks it is possible. In many cases surgery is required to repair a hernia. During the operation the surgeon will put the protrusion back. If the protrusion is through the abdominal wall, for example, a synthetic mesh may be fixed to the muscles to strengthen the area.

Surgery can be either open surgery, where a large incision is made, or keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery, where only a tiny incision is made, using a specially designed camera and instruments to carry out the operation.

Advantages and disadvantages of open surgery and laparoscopic surgery

Both open surgery and keyhole surgeries have their own advantages and disadvantages. Although open surgery involves a longer recovery time and more post-operative pain, it can be done with a local anesthetic. A patient who undergoes keyhole surgery will recover faster and experience less pain. However, keyhole surgery requires a general anesthetic. Elderly patients, or those with bad health may be too weak to undergo a general anesthetic.

Gastrointestinal experts say that despite faster recovery time and less pain after the operation, laparoscopic surgery carries a higher risk of damage to the bowel. A European study found that laparoscopic hernia surgery has a 5 in 1000 risk of serious complications, compared to 1 in 1000 with open hernia surgery

Researchers from Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, reported in Archives of Surgery that total extraperitoneal inguinal hernioplasty, a minimally invasive surgery for hernia repair, tends to result in significantly less damage to groin (inguinal) sensation than open Lichtenstein repair. With the minimally invasive procedure, patient satisfaction rates are much higher, and considerably fewer report chronic pain.

If you have to wait a long time for your surgery your doctor may recommend you wear a truss till the day of your operation. Trusses keep many hernias in place.
Prevention of hernias

In many cases, hernias are due to age and your genetic propensity. There is not much you can do about that. However, there are some factors which can raise your risks of developing a hernia.

Heavy lifting - heavy lifting is known to cause hernias. Try to avoid heavy lifting. If you can't, learn how to position yourself for lifting. If you are weight training you should use an appropriate amount of weight relative to your strength. You should make sure you are warmed up before lifting any weights. Make sure you bend at the knees when lifting a weight - do not bend at the waist as this will cause excessive pressure. If you are lifting a heavy object in the gym (or anywhere) take a squatting position, keep your back straight and as vertical as you can. Make sure your bodyweight is centered over your feet when you start your lift. Frequent abdominal training will strengthen those areas most susceptible to hernias.

Smoking and coughing - coughing, especially persistent coughing can cause a hernia to develop. Anything you can do to reduce or eliminate your cough will help enormously. If you smoke, try to give up, or at least cut down. Quitting smoking will prevent several other serious diseases. Studies indicate that your chances of succeeding in giving up smoking are significantly greater if you seek help from your GP (primary care physician) and join a support group.

Nutrition - a diet that is high in fiber will help your bowel movements. Constipation, especially if the person is often constipated, greatly increases hernia risk. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids.

Obesity - being overweight can increase your risk of developing a hernia considerably!

It may seem like everyone you know has tried a detox diet lately. Although regimens vary, these diets generally involve a juice fast lasting days or weeks and often include a “cleanse” with limited food and/or “detoxifying” supplements. Serving up a small allotment of calories can produce dramatic weight loss, which makes detoxing tempting to typical dieters.

But what’s unique about this trend is that it’s also attracting people not trying to lose weight. That’s because these fasts are billed as a way to improve health or cure chronic health conditions by removing impurities from the body. All this gives detox diets more street cred than the typical fad diet. But are they based on real science? Do you really need to detox? Martica Heaner, PhD, MA, MEd, who is a columnist for MSN, is on Twitter: @DrMartica and who has a doctorate in behavioral nutrition and physical activity, examines this trend.

Are They Scientific?

“Extreme detox diets are not nutritionally balanced,” says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, MPH, RD, a Maryland-based medical doctor and registered dietitian. Even diets that incorporate a meal or smoothie can have too few calories, especially if you exercise while on them. The risks are considerable.

“When you’re not getting enough protein or calories, you can lose muscle mass and experience dangerously low blood sugar, which can cause you to pass out and create electrolyte imbalances that, in extreme cases, can lead to a heart attack,” says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, MS, RD, CDN, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who has a private nutrition-consulting practice in New York City.

Of course, some detox diets take a more sensible route, providing juices or supplemented shakes with adequate calories (around 1,200 per day) and protein. “As long as you’re healthy and only follow [a diet like this] for a few days, you will probably lose a few pounds, [but] it’s doubtful that you are going to cure a disease,” says Cohn.

In other words, it’s true that these exercises in portion control can produce weight loss. But the bigger question is whether a detox diet truly “de-toxes.”

Removing Toxins From the Liver?

The most common claim is that a cleanse regimen detoxifies the liver, the body’s own self-detoxification organ. It’s assumed the liver gets clogged like an air conditioning filter and must be cleaned so it can continue detoxifying.

“But there is no evidence showing that a normal liver gets clogged with toxins,” says hepatologist Nancy Reau, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago who treats patients who have liver cancer. “The liver is a sophisticated filter. Everything you inhale, put on your skin or eat enters the bloodstream and is brought to the liver. It then generates specific enzymes to help remove things that are unhealthy or change them to a healthier form. The liver is self-cleaning, you just have to give it good fuel in the form of healthy food.”

Pros and Cons of Detoxing

The upside of a detox regimen is that cutting out bad eating habits and helping the body eliminate waste more easily make good sense. Eating less processed food and more plant foods means more fiber, more nutrients and fewer chemical additives. Detox diets may even have a valid detox effect if people forgo alcohol that they might otherwise drink.

Some people think that a regimented, strict plan helps them mentally prepare to embark on a healthier way of eating. However, people often return to their former eating vices when their cleanses are over. So, the belief that it can kick-start a healthier life may only be a fantasy.

And if your routine consists of alternating an occasional detox week to fix a chronic pattern of poor eating habits, what’s the point? “A lifetime of good, healthy eating is going to be more effective than a sometime, short-term cleanse,” says Reau.

• Bone spurs are treated only if they are causing symptoms. Initial treatment is directed toward decreasing inflammation and avoiding reinjury when possible. What causes bone spurs? Bone spurs are usually caused by local inflammation, such as from degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) or tendinitis. This inflammation stimulates the cells that form bone to deposit bone in this area, eventually leading to a bony prominence or spur. For example, inflammation of the ligament that surrounds a degenerating disc between the vertebrae (the bony building blocks of the spine) is a very common cause of bone spurs of the spine. Inflammation of the Achilles tendon can lead to the formation of a bone spur at the back of the heel bone (calcaneus bone). Inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot, plantar fasciitis, can lead to a bone spur at the underside of the heel bone. These bone spurs are sometimes referred to as heel spurs. A bone spur is medically referred to as an osteophyte. Where do bone spurs occur? Bone spurs develop in areas of inflammation or injury in nearby cartilage or tendons. Common locations for bone spurs are in the back, or sole, of the heel bone of the foot, around joints that have degenerated cartilage, and in the spine adjacent to degenerated discs. What are symptoms of bone spurs? Bone spurs may or may not cause symptoms. When they do cause symptoms, the symptoms depend on their location. Bone spurs can be associated with pain, numbness, and tenderness if they are irritating adjacent tissues, such as skin, fat pads, nerves, or tendons. Heel spurs cause local foot pain, tenderness, and sometimes swelling. This can lead to difficulty walking due to pain at the bottom of the foot with weight-bearing. Sometimes there is accompanying inflammation of the entire bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis) when the heel spur occurs in the bottom of the heel bone. Occasionally, bone spurs in this location are a result of inflammatory arthritis, such as from reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH or Forrestier's disease). Spurs in the spine can pinch adjacent nerves to cause numbness, tingling, and pain as well as weakness in the area of the body supplied by the affected nerve. Some bone spurs do not cause symptoms and are incidentally detected by X-ray tests that are performed for other reasons. These spurs may have formed because of past injury to nearby tissues, such as tendons, that caused local inflammation of the bone, leading to the development of the bone spur. How are bone spurs diagnosed? Bone spurs are detected by radiologic testing, such as with plain X-rays, ultrasound imaging, MRI scan, CT scan, and Myelograms.

All information contained is a combination of opinions shared by experts and upheld through Science!

Working out hard, training for competition, contest prepping, juggling fitness, family and home, struggling with sleep while living a busy life, these are all stressors on our bodies (not to mention minds).

Not all stress is “bad” mind you. There are good stresses too, as not all “stressors” are going to threaten our bodies homeostasis.

Homeostasis: the maintenance of relatively stable internal physiological conditions (as body temperature or the pH of blood) in higher animals under fluctuating environmental conditions; also : the process of maintaining a stable psychological state in the individual under varying psychological pressures or stable social conditions in a group under varying social, environmental, or political factors.

Lately in my own practice I’m seeing more and more how stress, lack of sleep, anxiety and over work can contribute to weight gain and the “holding” of weight (ie: fat) particularly around the midsection.

Many people spend countless days, months and years trying to lose weight and combat obesity. And then add the food and supplement industry doing it’s best to encourage the purchase and consumption of foods and drink stuffs to further promote weight loss “cures” and the stress level just continues to rise (for me, out of frustration!)... ;)

However in my opinion there is a missing link in all of this that must be looked at, and that is the connection that cortisol has in weight gain and/or in the lack of weight loss.

WHAT IS CORTISOL?

It is a hormone secreted daily by our adrenal glands. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning and then decline through the day being at the lowest in the evening. It is a stress hormone activated during the stress response. Our bodies have a built in mechanism (this stress response) which is also known as “flight or fight” to help us survive with stressful situations via fighting or escaping. This is meant to be a short term response.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

It stimulates the release of glucose and amino acids and fatty acids for energy into our bloodstream (so that we can be mobilized act). This flight or response however is intended to be of a short duration, whereby the cortisol hormone levels then return to normal. If those “bad” stressors are constant and chronic though it can lead to lowered immune function among others things AND weight gain.

HOW & WHY?

Issues in getting enough sleep, light pollution (at night), what we eat or don’t eat, environmental stress etc. all add up and are starting to leave many people constantly stressed. Since this stress isn’t the quick fight or flight response it turns into… you guessed it, a more chronic condition hence, elevated and constant cortisol levels. This eventually disrupts the bodies normal homeostasis and metabolic functions.

This can then lead to glucose intolerance, hypertension, loss of muscle mass and higher insulin levels in the body. This can be linked to weight gain and you tend to see that present itself mainly in the abdominal area as belly fat.

From experience I have had some clients who are sticking to their eating plans, working out consistently and to the intensity required, doing everything “right” but not sleeping well or under such enormous and constant levels of emotional and mental stress that they don’t seem to move or progress, and in fact, have often been gaining more weight around the middle.

Being aware of the cortisol-stress-weight gain connection is something I feel very important to maintaining and managing (and achieving!) a true healthy quality of life.

So though the stresses may always be there, we can and must find ways to manage them through things that bring those stress (and cortisol) levels down to where they need to be. Watching comedy shows, sharing hugs with friends and family, setting aside quiet time to sip tea and watch a candle glow, getting quality sleeps, meditating, communing in nature, being more conscious and thoughtful of our “red button” responses, etc.

For a healthy life and a weight and body composition that is healthy and in balance, our chronic stresses need to be managed so as not to disrupt balance and create hormonal and metabolic disturbances.

Stress less = more success with weight loss and healthy body weight maintenance.

All information shared from experts in the industry and supported by Science!

Time and time again I see people struggling to lose weight eating very few calories and doing tons of cardio. What gives? Shouldn’t the pounds be dropping? Well, not if your metabolism has been damaged through a faulty fitness lifestyle. Here’s what you need to know about your metabolism and how to fix it. What Causes a Broken Metabolism? To put it simply, a damaged metabolism is typically caused by prolonged excessive calorie restriction combined with excessive physical activity. You might be wondering why in the world your weight isn’t budging if you’re eating 1000 calories and doing hours of cardio every day. After all, you know that you need a calorie deficit to lose weight, and you think it’s obvious that your deficit is more than enough. And that there is the problem – your calorie deficit is more than enough. However, it would be prudent to understand that this calorie deficit is only on paper, as your true energy deficit is little to nothing due to metabolic adaptations. I continue to explain why it’s so important to eat enough calories to lose weight. Your goal should be to eat as much food as possible that still allows you to drop body fat. When you don’t eat enough, important metabolism regulating hormones begin to down-regulate. Hormones such as thyroid and leptin start to lower to create a homeostasis in the body. Not only that, but muscle tissue begins to break down and be used for energy. This reduction in lean body mass also slows your metabolism since muscle is very metabolically active – “eating” fat and burning calories at all hours of the day. Find out why you’re not eating enough calories to lose weight. What about all that cardio you’re doing? Surely it’s burning calories. Well, yes, but just as your body adapts to lower calories, it also adapts to exercise. It quickly will expend fewer and fewer calories doing the same amount of physical work. Eventually, you’ll need more and more exercise to get the same effects. The two main causes of a broken metabolism – severe calorie restriction and excessive exercise, cause a negative feedback loop that “requires” you to eat less and less and exercise more and more to maintain your pace of weight loss. Obviously, you can only do so much before you end up sick, tired, or injured, and end up giving up. See why losing 2lbs per week isn’t realistic for everyone. How to Get Your Metabolism Back to Normal Alright, now that you know what causes a broken metabolism, let me tell you what you can do to get it back to normal. First and foremost, you must not overly cut your calories. I realize this point is after-the-fact, but it’s important to understand so that it doesn’t happen again. Second, if you are doing hours of cardio every day, it’s time to cut it back. An hour 5 days a week is more than enough, and I’d much rather see people doing intense strength training 3-5 days a week and leaving the additional cardio as a back-pocket weapon for when weight loss truly stalls. Next, it’s time to slowly start adding calories back into your diet through a process called reverse dieting. Over the course of weeks and months, you need to starting adding 20-50 calories into your diet here and there. The key to getting your metabolism back to normal without fat gain is to do this slowly, just as you should have done in the opposite direction when you were trying to lose weight – hence the term reverse dieting. Adding just 30 calories to your diet a week for 12 weeks will result in an extra 360 calories each day, and I think you might be surprised that somewhere along the line your weight loss actually starts to pick up again. In order to do this right you will have to put the worry of weight gain out of your mind. Trust me when I tell you that your maintenance calories should not be 1,000 calories, even though your weight is neither increasing nor decreasing at that amount. As you increase your calories, those important metabolism regulating hormones will begin to up-regulate. Thyroid hormone will increase, leptin levels will be at levels that won’t signal starvation, and muscle tissue will start to be spared. For this to work, you must be patient. Metabolism damage usually occurs from years of binge/purge cycles, also known as severe dieting followed by an even bigger period of overeating. Slow and steady wins the fat loss game. The longer you take to lose your fat, the more successful you will be in the long term. Calorie deficits only need to be 10-20 percent lower than your maintenance calories to be effective. Anything more and you start to veer into dangerous metabolism destroying territory. Take care of your metabolism, and your fitness lifestyle will be much more enjoyable and easy to maintain

Hey team this week I'm going to write about increasing your energy and vitality through values alignment and understanding where energy is being sucked out in your life.

In today's blog we are going to start with the people whom are in your life. Ever been at a party and felt like you were completely exhausted? That you could stand to keep your eyes open for another minute, even though it was supposed to be an amazing party?

Likewise, have you ever stayed up almost all night, focused and driven, surrounded by brilliant people and creative ideas?

Energy comes in limited quantities. It is finite, it waxes and wanes, and it grows or diminishes based on what you are doing and who you are surrounded with. What dictates our energy?

How do we capture these spaces that help us be amazing, and remove the events and things that deplete our energy?

There are people, places and things that make me feel like I’m building my energy stores that rejuvenate me, and help me to do my best work. Likewise, there are also people and places that zap my energy; that leave me exhausted; that make me feel as though I’ve waste my time and my energy – and my day – without getting anything useful done.

I remember some years ago having a conversation over coffee with a friend, we both asked each other how to deal with these different personality types as they come into our lives. People are exceptional – they are our number one resource – but not all people are helpful at any given project or time. How do you make decisions about how you spend your time – and who you hang out with? And more importantly, how do you say no to people and things that zap your energy reserves?

Together, we made a map of the different types of people in our lives, and agreed that we would consciously try to say no to hanging out with people that didn’t help us in our long-term goals – or in our energy management.

This system isn’t just about eliminating “Negative Nancy’s” and “Debbie Downers” (although every effort should be made to reduce their presence in your life). Understanding how people affect you means that you can do a better job matching what you need at any given moment to what your energy requires. Sometimes I don’t need to be around excited people.

Sometimes I just need another balanced philosopher to do and create my best work. And sometimes I need to be more judicious about reducing the time I spend with people who don’t match my energy.

On the energy spectrum, here are the ranges of personality types – from high, positive energy, to balanced and stable individuals, to strong negative energy. Do you identify with any of the following energy personality types?

How do you bring these different personas into your world? And do you pay attention to how people make you feel?

The Positives •Buzzers. These are my excited electrons. People who are so thrilled to be around other people and in the world, talking with them is like getting a burst of inspiration. When I wake up in the morning, a phone call with them is better than coffee. They are my muses, my inspirations, my creative. Like coffee, however, I can’t drink it nonstop each day – so they are better in quantifiable bursts.

•Happy’s. Generally positive, seem to be happy almost all the time. People you would skip with, laugh with, enjoy being with. I have lots of these in my life. They aren’t as physically excited as the Buzzers, but they are generally happy and have a positive attitude about most things.

•Wonder Listeners. People who can hear what you are saying without you saying it; who seem to listen to you with both their bodies and their ears, and who exude a positive radiance without necessarily saying or doing anything, are your Wonder Listeners. After hanging out with one of these, I leave feeling happy, excited, and inspired.

•Coaches and Mentors. These are people who seem to have endless stores of hope and inspiration designed just for you. People who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer and how you are doing. The coaches and mentors are usually a check-in, once a week or once a month, and they offer their advice and wisdom to you in their interactions. The Middle Balance (Balancers and Grounders)

•Quiet Stabilizers. People who are refreshing, rejuvenating, and inspiring without being showy or ostentatious. Someone you can sit quietly in a park with, without talking very much, and leave happier. These people don’t toot their own horn, and likely don’t know how cool they are. Yet being around them is satiating, relaxing, and restorative.

•Feedbacks. People who tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear. These people can be mistakenly labeled as negatives, but they still have your best interests in heart and are actually looking out for you in the long run. Keep them around, but note the times when you aren’t up for receiving feedback and need encouragement instead – and seek them out when you need smart advice.

•The Strugglers and Changers. There are people who are struggling, working towards change, and are sometimes frustrated or caught in-betweens. They are on their way towards becoming the person they want to be, and conversations with them are raw, open, inspiring, hard, and generally variable. These are my strongest friends, the people who open my eyes and listen to my shared experiences as well. We learn well together. To note, however, sometimes I don’t have enough energy to devote to these conversations, and it’s best to say No and save the date for another, more energetic time. Negatives

•The Repetitive and Non-Changers. People who are stuck in a problem that you’ve listened to for years. Their complaints are the same, over and over again, and they don’t bring anything new to the table. Each time, it feels like you’re stuck in déjà-vu, because you’re still talking about how to deal with their terrible relationships, bad work situation, or general malaise. To deal with these types, tell them, politely and firmly, that you don’t want to talk about their problem anymore. “I appreciate all the struggles you are having with your job situation, but I’d like to not talk about that anymore. I know you are working hard on it. Let’s focus and talk about new things when we meet.”

•The Fakes. There are people who masquerade as positives – the words they use are cheery, they tell you what they think you want to hear; they quote inspirational things and bits. But the substance is not there.

And, more importantly, you are not rejuvenated by the words or the ideas in the way you are around Quiet Wonders or Listeners or Buzzers. Some people are obviously fake; others not so obviously. At the end of the day, what’s most important is how you respond when you’re around them. •Negative Influences. There are people who are wonderful, interesting, bright, and creative. And yet, for some reason, I am negatively influenced when I am around them. It’s not that they themselves are bad people – it’s that I make bad choices when I’m around them. For some reason or another, hanging out with them is not conducive to my success. These are the trickiest people to identify, because there’s nothing about them that’s bad or easy to rationalize avoiding. It’s how they influence you that tells you about whether or not it’s a good person to have in your life.

•Toxic. These are the people who make you feel like shutting down when you’re around them. The people that drain you, that zap your energy, that are filled with negativity and cutting remarks. Most of us quickly eliminate these people from our lives after just a few interactions. They are easy to spot and identify. If you still have them around, ask yourself why? What do you benefit from being with a toxic person? In each of these scenarios, the most important thing is how each of these personality types make you feel. It’s not about whether or not the person is a good or bad person – it’s about whether or not they are the right energy type for you. It’s important to note that not all people can fit neatly into each of these categories – often the dynamic relationships we have with others changes depending on who is interacting and what the objectives are. Sometimes my friends are Buzzing-happy, and other times they are balanced-stabilizers.

Defining these personalities – and how you feel when you’re around different types of energy – has helped me in understanding why I leave feeling out of sorts from some interaction. In turn, it helps me decide what to do – and who I choose to spend time with – in the future.

Relationships matter. Pay attention to how the people around you are making you feel. Start with your closest people in your life, yes I know its heart because these people are the ones that you love dearest, but they are your biggest influences. It’s hard to be objective but you need to be honest with yourself after all you are the sum of who you hang around. As the old saying goes “If you sleep with dogs, then you’re bound to get fleas. Which is your favorite personality type to be around?

Shared opinion by experts in the industry and supported through Science!

Juicing and the importance of the alkaline/acid connection

I use my juicer 2 to 3 times per week to easily consume an abundance of important raw nutrients. Drinking your fruits and vegetables in a concentrated form is wonderful! Each and every single one of us needs to consume some raw sources of food daily and juicing provides that.

But why is it important for our health and what is the connection with the alkaline/acidity levels in our body?

The blood in our body is a key regulator and indicator of our overall health. Blood transports oxygen and many important nutrients into each and every cell in our body and in order for our blood to perform its job properly, it needs to be maintained in a very specific pH range of 7.36 - 7.44 which is Alkaline. Deviating from this range can have dire consequences which can result in illness and diseases.

Even though our bodies have a natural mechanisms to eliminate acid, extra acidity from a poor diet can make our insides run awry. Processed foods, Sugars, Starches and Grains, Aspartame, High Doses of Animal Protein, and Caffeine are all very, very acidic.

Cancer, for example, thrives in an acidic environment.

So how can you bring your pH levels back to normal levels and into an alkalized state and to SUPERCHARGE YOUR LIFE? Through the magic of consuming FRUITS AND VEGETABLES in its most natural form. In fact, green vegetables are the most alkaline foods which is why it is so important to have daily.

The importance of alkalizing the body leads me to my morning juicing rituals. This morning I put together a combination of BEETS, CARROTS, KALE, CUCUMBER, GRAPEFRUIT, STRAWBERRY, PINEAPPLE, and CELERY to start the day.

Alkalizing your body will lead to more energy, feeling more vibrant, it will reduce bloating and water retention, improves skin and skin conditions, will lead to better moods, it will help with allergies, strengthen hair and nails, helps with joint pain, and betters digestion.

The consistent consumption of natural food sources will do wonders to improve the quality of your life in the long run. Supercharge your health by alkalizing your body with something as simple as juicing.

Shared opinions with EXPERTS in the industry as well as supported through research!

There is not a true one-size-fits-all approach that will result in effective training, nutrition and supplementation, but most importantly there never should be!

What works for one, may not work for another. And why would we want it any other way?

While it could be argued that it would be great if we could provide any individual no matter their medical history, training experience, physical ability, genetics etc. with a list of effective training strategies that would work for all, if you think further you can easily see how such a system would be terribly uninspiring.

We need different strategies to meet all types and needs, but also to keep training and staying healthy, full of excitement, passion, joy and variety. If we could all train the same way, or even learn to train in similar ways, respond similarly to the same instruction and think the same, the results would be mind-numbing.

This is not to say that general guidelines do not exist or aren't beneficial and that we should reinvent the wheel, but it is plain to see the need to assess and understand each individual prior to prescribing an exercise program or a nutrition plan.

That's the reason why I am skeptical about programs you can purchase online, call me old fashion, but I want to look at my clients in the eyes, establish a connection before I even embark on designing a program for them.

It’s like anything else, if you have a plan that is going to take some time; you have to make sure you are on the right course.

You need to assess before you make adjustments.

Following a universal exercise plan without help simply isn’t going to accomplish that. Moreover, when you are doing the same routine for a while, you need to evaluate where you are in terms of how your body is changing and adapting or perhaps finding out why is not responding as fast as expected. Too many factors come into play when I am to consider designing a nutritional program or a training schedule and without assessing and seeing the client in person I find it a bit like cheating, the challenge is not just for the client, but for me too and without challenges the world would be just a too boring place.

Sciatica and Piriformis syndrome can seem quite similar, particularly in terms of symptoms, and this similarity in how they feel has caused considerable confusion for doctors and patients alike. Some individuals have stated that they are actually the same thing, but despite similarities in symptoms, the underlying causes of the two conditions are different.

Sciatica refers to irritation of the sciatic (often mis-spelled as syatic or psyatic) nerve, that arises from nerve roots in the lumbar spine. The most common cause of sciatic nerve irritation, or "true" sciatica is compression of one or more of its component nerve roots due to disc herniation or spinal degeneration in the lower lumbar region. Sciatica usually begins in the buttock area and, depending on the severity of the underlying nerve compression and inflammation, may extend down the entire leg to the ankle and foot.

Piriformis syndrome is sometimes called false sciatica, because instead of actual nerve irritation, it is caused by referral pain.) caused by tight knots of contraction in the piriformis muscle, which attaches to the upper femur bone and then runs across the back of the pelvis to the outside edge of the sacrum, the triangular pelvic bone at the base of the spine. The symptoms of piriformis syndrome are very similar and may be indistinguishable from true sciatica.

In some cases, piriformis syndrome may cause true sciatic nerve irritation, as the sciatic nerve may run underneath or even through the middle of the piriformis, so contraction of the piriformis may produce sufficient compression of the sciatic nerve to produce actual nerve symptoms. This is one of the main sources of confusion when it comes to distinguishing true sciatica from piriformis syndrome.

As mentioned earlier, the symptoms of true sciatica are very similar to piriformis syndrome. Both cause pain, tingling, burning, "electrical shock" sensations, and/or numbness down the leg, often all the way to the foot. In addition, both sciatica and piriformis syndrome tend to be at least partially related to biomechanical functional problems in the joints of the back and pelvis and they may even be present simultaneously in the same person, so it can be difficult to tell them apart.

But since the most effective treatment for the two conditions varies significantly, it is important to determine the correct diagnosis if at all possible. In most cases there is an easy way to distinguish between sciatica and piriformis syndrome.

In most cases, sciatica can be differentiated from piriformis syndrome with a couple of simple test maneuvers. To begin, from a seated position, one straightens the knee on the side of sciatic pain, holding the leg out straight and parallel to the floor, and if this position causes an increase in symptoms, it is a good indicator of true sciatica.

The second maneuver is done in two parts. First, from the sitting position one bends the leg and pulls the knee on the painful side towards the same-side shoulder. In all but the most severe cases, there is usually no major increase in pain in this position. The second part of the maneuver is to pull the knee toward the opposite side shoulder. An increase in the sciatica-like symptoms is a strong indication of piriformis syndrome.

It is important to distinguish between sciatica and piriformis syndrome, because the treatment for the conditions varies, and getting the diagnosis right typically leads to more effective treatment.

AEROBIC VS ANAEROBIC EXERCISE FOR BURNING FAT

The whole idea behind the fat-burning zone is that if you exercise at a particular heart rate (around 60-70%), you will burn a higher percentage of calories from fat. Although true, this is no good if I’m trying to lose fat. The lower your heart rate, the higher the percentage of calories burned will come from fat.

The key to this sentence is “higher the percentage”. You actually burn the highest percentage of calories from fat while you sleep! Your heart rate is at its lowest at that time. So in theory, if you believe in the fat-burning zone for the best fat loss, you should sleep the fat away. You do after all burn a higher percentage of calories from fat. The problem with this thinking is that while you burn a higher percentage of calories from fat, the total number of calories burned is lower.

That is why for maximum metabolic effect in terms of burning fat, an activity sustained for a shorter period of time at a higher intensity above the metabolic threshold, is preferred to consume the higher amount of calories even thou the higher percentage may not come from fat.

This fact is better explained when we understand how the Kreb cycle works. After glycolysis (oxidation of glucose to pyruvate) takes place in the cell's cytoplasm, the pyruvic acid molecules travel into the interior of the mitochondrion. Once pyruvic acid is inside, carbon dioxide is enzymatically removed from each three-carbon pyruvic acid molecule to form acetic acid. The enzyme then combines the acetic acid with coenzyme A, to produce acetyl coenzyme A, also known as acetyl CoA. Once acetyl CoA is formed, the Krebs cycle begins. The Krebs cycle, or citric acid cycle, was put forth to account for the oxidation of carbohydrates. Of course, later the acetyl derivative (a compound formed in fat degradation) was identical to the compound formed by the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate, proving that the Krebs cycle also serves for the oxidation of fats. Within the cell, the Krebs cycle takes place inside the mitochondria or "power plant" of the cell and provides the energy required for the organism to function.

In the absence of carbohydrates, Acetyl coa does not bind with oxaloacetate which is normally what occurs in those with adequate glucose. However, in those with ketosis (lacking glucose so fats are used to make energy as ketones ), there is a need for oxaloacetate to be converted into glucose by gluconeogenesis. With no oxaloacetate, the lonely acetyl coa becomes converted into ketones. These bodies are then released into the blood and used as energy during higher intensity exercise.

Strictly speaking, the terms "aerobic" and "anaerobic" refer to the presence and absence of oxygen, but most of our cells prefer to get their energy by using oxygen to fuel metabolism. During aerobic exercise, muscle cells can contract repeatedly without fatigue. During anaerobic or non-oxygen conditions (i.e., higher intensity exercise), muscle cells must rely on other reactions that do not require oxygen to fuel muscle contraction. This anaerobic metabolism in the cells produces waste molecules and result in fatigue.

The problem with the terms "aerobic" and "anaerobic" when applied to exercise is that we actually never switch from total aerobic to total anaerobic metabolic conditions. In reality, the more intensely we exercise, the greater the need for anaerobic energy production. Consequently, it is best to view the terms aerobic and anaerobic as transitions in metabolism, where the proportion between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism changes depending on exercise intensity.

At rest, we rely on aerobic metabolism to fuel almost all our body's needs for energy and as we start to exercise, the increased energy needs of muscle contraction require that we increase our breathing and oxygen intake. So long as we increase our exercise intensity slowly, we can maintain our muscles' dependence on aerobic metabolism, and we don't experience symptoms of fatigue.

However, as exercise intensity increases, the need for energy release eventually exceeds that which can be supplied by aerobic metabolism. Our muscles simply need more reactions to support the energy demand. Therefore, anaerobic contribution to metabolism increases. This metabolic threshold represents the exercise intensity where we start to produce those waste products of anaerobic metabolism that can eventually lead to fatigue.

Known for her ability to deliver highly effective and challenging workouts while making them feel enjoyable, this former elite fitness and bodybuilding competitor is an experienced Personal Trainer with a proven record of getting results! In addition to Personal Training and several other certifications and training through a number of professional organizations, Renita is a success story herself and continues to inspire and motivate everyone she meets! When you make a commitment and focus your mind on any endeavor, anything is possible. Being fit can make you feel alive and take you beyond your wildest dreams. Anybody, given the proper guidance, motivation and support can achieve anything they put their mind to! I couldn’t ask for a better career, I can’t imagine doing anything else! The feeling of knowing I’ve helped someone else. That’s about as rewarding as it gets! I am passionate about helping others achieve overall better health and fitness. When working with individuals and groups I’m so thankful for having the chance to do what I really love; to connect with people through exercise and nutrition. We all want to feel better about something and it can all start with you feeling good about yourself. Fitness and good nutrition have a huge impact on how we feel and that can transfer to our thoughts and choices we make in life. The satisfaction I get seeing people progress toward and then exceed their personal goals surrounding health and wellness is huge for me. It pains me to see so many people struggling with things like weight, fat and chronic low energy. It’s a choice and I’m happy to be the conduit for healthy choices people are making. I love working privately in the comfort of my client’s home – or with small groups to adapt movement to suit a person’s specific needs for optimum results.